Hospital evicts cancer patients, nurses

Sick hospital patients and staff are struggling to find homes after being evicted from their budget accommodation at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital.

More than 180 patients, doctors and nurses were given just 48 hours notice to pack their bags after the on-campus residence, in the hospital's inner-city campus, was declared unsafe.

Hospital staff at the Vera Adderley Building, Randwick, were told yesterday they could use one paid shift to find a new home.

The hospital also said it would pay the difference between staff members' current rent and the cost of a hotel room up until April 20.

"It's completely unreasonable — the building is neglected, falling down around us and full of mould "¦ yet nothing has been done until now," a nurse who did not want to be identified told ninemsn.

"It needed to get to dire circumstances where everyone has to get out before something was done [about the living situation]."

The 11-storey Vera Adderley Building houses cancer patients who require long-term treatment as well as those recovering from different surgical procedures.

Workers were originally given six weeks' notice but a report stating the building breached health and safety regulations forced hospital bosses to bring the date forward.

An inspection found balcony balustrades were rotten and at risk of collapsing onto the ground below.

"We understand the building is unsafe and it's great they're finding a place for us but they're only paying it for one week and then you're on your own," the nurse said.

"That's not six weeks' notice ... we should be subsidised for that period of time."

The nurse, who paid $120 a fortnight for accommodation at the Vera Adderley Building, said she and a colleague had found a home at Mascot but feared others would be left stranded because of the four-day Easter holiday.

Chief executive of the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service, Terry Clout, has apologised for the late notice.

"Any amount of risk was a risk too great to take," Mr Clout said in a statement.